Fifth Time's The Charm
by EmmaLovesWriting
Summary: Although it took Fabian five tries to ask Nina to marry him, and only one try for her to say yes, it didn't matter. It didn't matter that they'd been dating for seven years before they got married. The only thing that mattered was that they had each other. After all, good things come to those who wait.


**So I'm back with another one-shot! A looonnngggg one-shot! Like 2.6k words long! Aren't you happy? Huh, Huh? Aren't you? Before I bore you for too long, that's get on to the story! **

**Disclaimer; I DONT OWN HOA! I ONLY OWN MY PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

**Enjoy!**

The story of Nina Martin and Fabian Rutter's engagement couldn't possibly be considered normal. Normal would be a man getting down on one knee, either spontaneously or planned, and asking the love of his life to marry him. Normal wouldn't be getting interrupted every time you tried to ask. Normal would be when the so called love of their life jumped into the man's arms and said - without any hesitation - "yes". But Nina and Fabian aren't normal, they're unique, and that's exactly the way they like it.

The story starts off on a normal day in normal England where Fabian was enjoying a normal lunch with his normal group of friends. They were chatting about various different things; college, jobs, life in general. Whatever four young adult guys could possibly talk about. Sounds pretty normal, right?

Fabian reached towards his glass of water, bringing it up to his lips as he tilted his head back and let the liquid pour into his mouth. Just as he went to swallow, Eddie, one of his more daring friends, spoke up.

"So, Fabian, my man, when're you going to, you know, pop the question?" He asked casually, arm hung over the edge of his chair and legs crossed under the wood table.

Fabian nearly choked on the ice he had been chewing, eyes widened in shock, showing that in fact, he _hadn't even thought_ about it. He wasn't a bold guy and he definitely wasn't one who would think about marriage unless he really loved the girl. He loved Nina, of course, he loved her so much that he was afraid of asking that certain question. What if she said no and their relationship was ruined? He wasn't about to let that happen.

"W-what?" He stuttered, coughing slightly as he swallowed the few small pieces of ice that had yet to melt.

"Dude, do you even want to get married?" Alfie chimed in, shifting his eyes away from his phone screen to catch Fabian's initial reaction.

"Of course I do, I just, dontthinkimready." He mumbled the last part, letting his gaze fall to his lap where his hands were folding and unfolding themselves nervously.

"What was that?" Eddie questioned, cocking an eyebrow. Fabian sighed and ran a shaky hand through his hair while Jerome, however, was chuckling at his flustered friend.

"I don't think I'm ready." He said ashamedly, looking mortified. All of his friends had already either asked their girlfriends, and were married or at least planning their wedding. Then there was him, barely getting through a simple question without stuttering and moving as slow as a snail, at least in terms of his relationship.

"Mate, you've been dating for five years, don't you think it's time?" Jerome jumped in, trying to convince Fabian of his argument.

"But what if she says no?" Fabian was really worried about this aspect. It wasn't so much the asking her that frightened him, it was her answer. What if she didn't want to marry him? What if he made a fool of himself in front of the only girl he's ever, and ever will, love, for that matter.

"She's not going to say no, by this time she's probably waiting for you to ask her." Eddie advised, giving his friend a reassuring look.

"I don't know…." Although Fabian seemed skeptical, by three o'clock that afternoon, he had risked it all and bought a ring. An expensive, though well worth it, diamond engagement ring. He wasn't ready, he knew that for a fact, but he knew that he wanted to get married and the sooner he asked, the sooner that would happen. He had underhandedly convinced Nina to go out with him that night, against her wishes to just stay home and order in. If he was going to ask her such an important question, he should make it special, right?

When they were both dressed and ready, Fabian led his beautiful date to the park, where they enjoyed a romantic picnic, and afterwards, a calm walk. The mood was right and everything seemed perfect, it was like nothing could go wrong. He wiped his slightly sweaty palms on the back of his jeans and cleared his throat, turning to face her in all his nervousness.

"Fabian, what're you doing?" She smiled in her curious way and he sighed, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Listen, Nina, I need to ask you something. I-" Just as he went to get down on one knee, a duck waddled by and let out possibly the loudest quack either of them had ever heard. Fabian sighed, annoyedly glaring at the bird. When he thought he was in the clear - in terms of loud ducks - he started over again.

"What I meant to ask was-" Like you may've predicted, he was once again interrupted by the pitter patter of tiny duck feet and a loud quack.

"You'vegottabekiddingme." He muttered under his breath, shoulders sagging in defeat. Nina laughed her bright, contagious laugh and sent Fabian a reassuring look.

"What were you going to ask?" Her eyes sparkled bright against the darkness of the almost-midnight sky and Fabian could've sworn his heart stopped.

"N-nothing important." He smiled, hand grazing against the ring box stored safely in the pocket of his dress slacks. He reached for Nina's hand and gave it a slight squeeze, leading them back home._ It could wait another day._

The second time Fabian tried to ask was several weeks later. He hadn't forgotten about it, of course not, he'd just been, well, putting it off as you might say. It was a cold day in the bitter winter of England and they'd just gone to pick out their Christmas tree. It was a tradition they'd started ever since they moved in together three years ago. The pungent smell of pine needles and sap and the bright lights that adorned the tree always seemed to bring them closer together during the cold holiday season.

After arriving at the tree farm, Fabian helped Nina out of the car and practically dragged her, hand in hand, towards a spot free of people. Few trees surrounded them, enough to give them privacy but not enough to draw attention to them.

"Fabes, what?!" Nina's voice echoed through the cold, bitter air and Fabian smiled, bright with Christmas spirit and cheeks rosy from the wind.

"There's something I've been waiting to ask you Nina. Something important, um-" Fabian was all smiles, well, until he was interrupted, once again, by a sales clerk who'd gone to chop down one of the trees.

"Excuse me, sir. If you could just, urm, move over a bit, just need to squeeze past you." His voice was deep but his mood seemed light and cheery, not something you'd expect from a large, burly man.

"Sure, sorry 'bout that." Fabian rolled his eyes and shifted over slightly so the man could get past.

"So-" Just as Fabian's smile reappeared, it was gone in a second. The guy who'd just had to get by had started up his electric saw and began cutting one of the trees down. The noise was horrifyingly loud and they both had to cover their ears, quickly getting away from the sound. Once they were out of earshot, Nina spotted the perfect tree and just had to go see it, leaving Fabian to sigh and reluctantly follow her. _Maybe_ _next_ _time._

The third time Fabian tried to ask her was their six year anniversary, a date they'd been looking forward to for weeks. It was a couple months since his last attempt and he figured it was already a special date, couldn't he make it more special?

With the ring in his pocket, a smile on his face, and a skip in his step, Fabian brought Nina to the fanciest restaurant in town. They saved special nights out like these for celebrations, and being together for six years was definitely a celebration to be had. Seated in the back of the restaurant, they held up a lively conversation in which they shared many laughs. Fabian was getting more than anxious and when there came a lull in the dialogue, he spoke up.

"Listen, there's been something I've wanted to ask you for a while Nina. Just every time I start to ask you I get-" Just then, a friendly waiter came over, juggling a tray of drinks and the food they'd ordered. If looks could kill, the waiter would definitely be dead.

"-interrupted." Fabian whispered, finishing his previous thought. Nina smiled and thanked the waiter while Fabian stayed silent.

"What were you saying, babe?" She asked. Fabian clenched his fists under the table, frustrated but not wanting to show it. He gave Nina a smile and grabbed his fork.

"Oh, nothing."

_There's always next time. What's the rush?_

The fourth time Fabian tried to ask Nina was the day of Anubis' five year reunion. He figured if it was going to happen anywhere, it might as well be where it first started. They had driven for almost six hours, and by the time they arrived, Nina was exhausted. She hadn't got much sleep the previous night as she'd stayed up late doing some last minute packing, and soon after they arrived, she retired up to her old room.

"Nina, wait." Fabian walked behind her up the stairs, catching her as she was just about to enter her room.

"Yeah?" She yawned, and Fabian was about to give up when his fingers brushed against the box in his pocket and he regained courage.

"Um, hold on, I need to ask you something. Nina, I-" Fabian was wrong in assuming nothing could interrupt them, since right as he was about to ask, Amber arrived and ran up the stairs to greet the two lovebirds.

"Nina, Fabian! I haven't seen you two in forever!" She squealed, enveloping both of them in a tight hug. For a petite woman, she sure was strong.

"Amber, as much as I love seeing you, I was sorta trying to ask Nina something. Something important." Fabian tried explaining, hoping that his pleading eyes would give her a hint.

"I'm sure whatever you were going to ask can wait. Nina and I have a lot of catching up to do!" Amber smiled and pulled Nina into their old room.

"Actually Amber, it can't." But by the time the words got out of his mouth, the door was already shut. Sighing, he defeatedly walked back down to the common room. _There's always tomorrow._

The fifth time Fabian tried asking her wasn't a special day. It was just another day in another month in another year. They were spending a quiet day to themselves, watching movies, eating snacks, and cuddling. By the end of the first movie though, they found they were much more interested in themselves than what was playing on the TV.

Snogging wasn't a new thing to them, as they'd been dating for over six years, but to both of them, this seemed different. Not necessarily more passionate, just different. Fabian knew this was the time. It wasn't a special day, they weren't at a special place, but it was their kind of special. They were much more comfortable wearing lounge clothes around each other than dresses and suits. They'd much rather stay at home than go out with friends. These kinds of days were the symbol of their relationship, and Fabian knew it was the time.

They had both pulled away for a second, desperate to catch their breaths, and Fabian sighed, closing his eyes.

"You okay babe?" Nina asked, cocking an eyebrow in concern and confusion.

"Marry me, Nina." He stated, words shaky, almost commanding rather than asking.

"W-what?" She asked, eyes widened in shock. This is definitely not what she'd been expecting.

"I can't imagine what my life would be like without you, Nina. You're the sweetest, most selfless person I've ever met and my love for you is seriously indescribable. Doing nothing with you is the best feeling in the world. You make me smile no matter what and you're always there for me, no matter how bad of a day you've had. I know you like the back of my palm and every little quirk you have is seriously the cutest thing ever. I love you, Nina. I'm so completely in love with you that sometimes, though it seems impossible, it hurts. It hurts to love someone with so much of your entire being. It's scary, honestly, because I know that if I ever lose you, I'd lose myself too. You're my light, my life, my everything. I've devoted my whole self to being everything you need. A shoulder to cry on, a punching bag, someone to love. It's amazing to say that the love of my life is my best friend. You're my everything, Nina. And I know that as long as I have you, I'll never once take anything for granted. I have absolutely nothing to complain about, because as long as I have you, I couldn't possibly be unhappy. You're everything to me, so please. Marry me." Nina had the most awestruck look upon her face until he finished, and by that time, her eyes were filled with fresh tears, glistening.

"No, babe, don't cry. Please don't cry. You know it hurts me when you cry." He pleaded, caressing her face with one hand and gently wiping off her tears with the other. They sat in silence for who knows how long before she finally nodded.

"Yes, Fabian. Yes." She cried, attacking him in a tight hug. For the next couple minutes, they just stayed there, wrapped in each others love and warmth. Just being. Because from now on, it didn't matter how life turned out. They were truly devoted to each other, and they knew that no matter what was thrown at them, they could and would get through it, together, hand in hand.

So, three months later, when Nina found out she was pregnant with their first child, they laughed and embraced it with open arms.

Four months later they were married, and five months after that, they welcomed Landen Joseph Rutter into the world. And even though Nina broke his hand in the process, they couldn't be happier. They were together, and that's all that mattered.

So yes, maybe it took Fabian five tries to finally get the question out, and yes, maybe they spent seven years together before they finally got married, but good things always come to those who wait.

**A/N: That was seriously the longest piece of writing I think I've ever wrote. In my life. And that's saying something. Anywayyyyy, how'd you like it? Was it good? Bad? Okay? Leave your opinions and all that other jazz in the review box below, please!**

**Thank you oh so much for reading** **this 2,600-and-something word one-shot! It means a lot! -Emma**


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